EDUC 815 2014 EdD E-Poster by Gregg Stewart

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Incentivizing International Education Experiences as a Means to Increase Participation Rates of Faculty Members within the Hard Science Disciplines

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Gregg Stewart

Drexel University

Brief Introduction

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Literature within the field of
higher education studies, has failed to provide quality empirical research on
the connection between international educational experiences of faculty within
the hard-sciences disciplines and added value to the curriculum in which these
members teach undergraduate students. A review of literature found inconclusive
evidence to support any assertion that time spent be faculty of any particular
academic discipline provided any measurable difference in global
perceptions. The methodology used in a number of peer-reviewed articles
and doctoral dissertations showed a lack of consistent data that could be extrapolated
into a scientific conclusion on the benefits of international experience by
faculty within higher education. The Association of American Colleges and
Universities in 2006 concluded that one of the least expensive and effective
means to globalize the American college campus is through utilizing existing
faculty members’ international experience and knowledge. The AACU argued that
this goal can be realized through travel abroad and educational abroad seminars
for faculty members. This study will examine how the Transformative
Education Abroad Model (TEAM) and Transformative Learning (Mezirow, Kiely,
Featherson and Kelly; 1997) can illuminate the level of change to frame of
reference, with regards to global competency, of faculty members within the
hard sciences. This study ultimately seeks to provide solutions to
faculty participation rates in international experiences. What ultimately can
be used to incentivize international experiences abroad? Linking tenure,
promotion and salary increases to these forms of transformative learning by
faculty might be the means to increase overall participation rates.

Historical Background

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A recent report released by the American Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities stated, the ultimate goal of academic transformation is increasing the global competence and "internationalized mindset" of faculty; internationalization efforts need to be pervasive across campus and mainstreamed into all programs. This is in contrast to earlier eras, when international dimensions were more typically viewed as the responsibility of a few programs or positions specifically designed for international programs.

Pupose of Lit Review

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·Examine empirical research for consistencies or gaps within the
literature concerning participation rates of faculty members with international
experiences; and any correlation to increased levels of global competency or
international mindsets.

·To closely examine methodological approaches in the literature.
What are the types of research questions being asked? Is the academic community
seeking out the best questions and are their methodologies allowing for the
best potential investigations?

·Examine gaps in the research. Where does the topic of this study
fit within the existing knowledge bank of information?

Research Questions

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1. Will incentivizing international education experiences create higher rates of participation among faculty members, especially within the hard science disciplines?

2. What types of incentives will create the most interests in participation?

3. How does "global competency" or "internationalized mindsets" of faculty translate to increased international experiences, and into the curriculum and educational transformation of undergraduate students?

Themes and Concepts

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Learning process (ways of
constructing knowledge) as opposed to the product (the knowledge base itself).

Promoting internationalization;
or the complex, multi-dimensional learning process that includes the integrative, intercultural, interdisciplinary, comparative transfer of knowledge, and global dimensions of knowledge construction (Paige & Mestenhauser, 1999).

Relevant Terminology

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Hard Sciences Faculty (Hard Applied Sciences, Pure Sciences
and Technology)-e.g. physics, biology and engineering: cumulative, atomistic,universalistic, quantitative and pragmatic (Becher, 1994).

International Mindset is metacognitive and epistemological
in nature. This concept focuses on the methods in which individuals organize their thinking around global/international concepts; construe their experiences and make sense of their world. The idea of internationalization is an overarching objective or “mega-goal” of the educational process that influences
“mindset” (Paige & Mestenhauser, 1999).

Gaps in Literature

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The gap, or in the case of this project, the flaw in the available literature is rooted in the lack of consensus around the benefits of faculty increasing their own international education. The literature either supports increased opportunities abroad by faculty, and shows a direct correlation to increased global competencies of their undergraduate students; or the complete opposite. There
is also a deficiency in the number of academic works that truly investigate faculty who have gone abroad. Many of the methodologies used were quantitative questionnaires
in which attitudes of faculty on the benefits of more international exposure were measured; rather than measuring outcomes and attitudes of faculty withmore international experience against those with little to none.

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Conceptual Model

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Just as students who go abroad to expand their sense of global awareness, and in the process go
through a transformative learning process, so too will faculty. As faculty maneuver their way through this developmental series, they will likely transform
themselves (improved global competency and internationalized mindsets), which ultimately has an impact on the students who they teach. Ideally this adds
value to their curriculum and pedagogical approach to education. The idea is to change their frame of reference, through the transformative process (Mezirow,
Kiely, Featherson and Kelly, 1997).

Significance of the Issue

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"Faculty are the most
critical factor in achieving a more internationalized campus, " (AAPLU,2014). Engaging faculty about pursuing opportunities abroad, the potential for the transformative process and the expansion of their own global competence and international mindset, are essential components to incentivizing the practice.

Previous Research and Limitations

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There is a great deal of research on the impactfulness of
study abroad and other international opportunities for undergraduate students. A small number of articles and dissertations exist on faculty abroad, their experiences and the transformative impact of those occurrences. There are even fewer sources on connecting this topic to specific disciplines in higher education and zero articles linking incentives to participation in international opportunities.

Next Steps

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Develop an instrument to measure, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the experiences of faculty within the hard sciences who participate in an international opportunity compared to those in the field who choose not to. Are faculty abroad realizing a transformative educational experience? If so how are they utilizing their new "mindset" to educate undergraduate students? If this is the reality, how can other faculty members in these scientific based
disciplines become interested in pursuing their own opportunity abroad?

2014 E Poster Presentation Audio Link

2014-05-30 19:37:16 UTC